Rail-joint.



No. 632,625. P atented Sept. 5, I899. a. L. BAXTER.

RAIL JOINT. (Application filed Oct. 22, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet J WITNESSES: z a INVENTOH 72% A TTOR rs.

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- Patented Sept. 5, I899. G. L. BAXTEB.

BAIL JOINT.-

(Application filed Oct. 22, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERMAN L. BAXTER, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,625, datedSeptember 5, 1899.

Application filed October 22, 1898. Serial No. 694,256. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern Be it known that I, GERMAN L. BAXTER, ofLexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, have inventeda new and Improved Rail-Joint, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in rail-joints of the suspensionkind and is provided with a cross-bar which engages the un der sides ofthe rails.

My invention comprises the novel features hereinafter described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 isaside elevation of myimproved rail-joint. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken upon the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4. is a side elevation of a modified form of construction. Fig. 5is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken upon theline 6 6 of Fig. 5.

The object of my invention is to support the joint at the ends of therails and to bind the rails together in such manner that the jointcannot well drop down, but will be main tained at the same level as thecentral portion of the rail and will thus preventthe shock due todropping of the joints.

My rail-joint consists of two principal members which are secured uponeach side of the rail A and are connected by a third mem- The memberswhich are connected to the side of the rails consist, first, of afishplate member B, which engages the side of the rail and lies betweenthe head and the base of the rail. Connected to each end of thefish-plate member is the suspension memher 0, which consists of a bareither welded to the fish-plate member or secured firmlythereto by othermeans, the central portion passing outside of the bases of the rail anddropping beneath the same, so as to permit the passage of a key Dbetween the upper side of the suspension member and the base of therail.

The members 13 and C are duplicated on each side of the rail, and thekey D rests with one end upon each suspension member, and said membersare so proportioned that the keyD will press firmly against the underside of the rail and hold the same up and prevent its dropping. The twofish-plate members B are preferably secured to the rails A by means ofrivets E, which are inserted while hot, and thus secure the members 13and O and the rail A firmly together. The key D has adownwardly-projecting rib d at each end,wl1ich prevents the withdrawalof the key from its position upon the suspension members and beneath therail.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 a modified form of construction is shown, in whichthe fish-plate member and the suspension member upon each side formintegral parts of one plate- This plate is bent so that one portion 13'forms the fish-plate and lies between the head and base of the rail, acentral portion F rests upon the base or the rail, and the oppositeportion 0 extends downward outside the railbase and forms the suspensionmember, being provided with a slot G for the reception of the key D.

The key D is similar in construction to that previously described,excepting that in cases where the joint is used in connection withelectric railways a plate H of copper or similar material is placed uponthe key and beneath the base of the rail, overlapping the joint betweentwo rails, and thus forming an efficient electrical joint. In order tosecure this plate in place and prevent its removal, the upper surface ofthe key is slightly recessed, the walls of said recess stopping short ofthe sides of the key, thus holding the plate H in place.

A rail-joint of the character described will be cheap in constructionand may be made of such strength that the rail is as stiff and strong atthe joint as at any other place and will thus help to maintain aperfectly level grade.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- A rail-joint, comprising two parts eachconsistin g of a bar member adapted to lie between the base and head ofthe rail, and a suspencentral parts of the suspension members and sionmember having its ends engaging the the rail-base, substantially as(lescrlbed.

ends of the bar member and with its center dropping below and outside ofthe rail-base, GERMAN BAXTER' 5 rivets passing through the bar andsuspen- Vitnesses:

sion members and the rail securing them rig- E. L. HUTCHINSON,

idly together, and a key entering between the JESSE \VOODRUFFT

